The Numbers Have It (World Suicide Prevention Day)

In Canada, according to Partners for Mental Health, 762 young people die every year because of suicide. Considering there are 4000 suicides (10 people per day) in Canada across all age groups (children to seniors) - & suicide at any age is sorrowful - but for there to be almost 20% of the 4000 to come from young people is a disproportionate number of the total stats and simply alarming. It is also estimated that 20% of suicides are not reported - which could add another 150 onto the number quoted. 

Stats indicate suicide is the 2nd leading cause death in youth (15-19) after car accidents. 

Mental health issues are the number one reason teens end up in hospital.

A study in Ontario in 2012 /13 indicated 10% of students in Grades 7 -12 had contemplated suicide in the previous year - translating that into numbers that is close to 100,000 students!! 3% or nearly 28,000 indicated they had tried to commit suicide. Those numbers are beyond comprehension.

Those numbers tell us we need to do more. More talking. More asking. More supporting. More removal of stigma. More early recognition and intervention.

Those numbers tells us that we are not putting enough focus into programs such as peer to peer or youth engagement programs for youth dealing with a mental illness or mental health concerns, to allow them to remain socially connected, to allow them to have some place 'safe' to hang out, to talk, to ask. 

"Studies have shown that social isolation can increase the risk of suicide and, conversely, that having strong human bonds can be protective against it." 

Social isolation is often seen as a significant barrier for youth dealing with a mental illness. Peer support programs or social / recreational programs, places where they can engage socially in a safe environment are valuable resources in providing hope and recovery for youth living with a mental illness and yet many communities do not have these programs.

Mental illness may not be easily seen or measured but the pain that it causes can be a physical pain and just as debilitating or more so than a physical illness. 

Today, as we mark World Suicide Prevention Day, we ask you to talk to your friends and family about mental health matters. Let them know it is OK to talk. When something seems wrong let them know it is OK to ask and it is OK for you to ask. And sometimes just being there for that person who is struggling, showing them support and caring, having someone to hold their hand while the dark storm swirls is what it will take for them to see the light shine through the clouds and weather the storm.

The Demon called Darkness

I call it a demon because it is - it is called Darkness and it envelopes all. It reaches out and encircles not only the child, but also the family, and the friends. It gleefully grabs at the years of youth that should be filled with laughter, friends, and memories and steals away the moments. It removes the smiles and creates tears and fears. It breaks hearts and claws away at potential. And because of this I wear a green ribbon this week in honour of all those who hurt; who cry; who are lost, to let them know they are not alone, that it is OK to reach out, and that there are those of us who will speak out to find a way to let their lights shine and their smiles grow. May 4th - 11th is Children's Mental Health Week. Wear Green! Show you care!

Measuring Success

"We measure success in steps so small that for most they are immeasurable, but for us they can be akin to the steps of giants." (MS) That is how it can be for someone living with or caring for a person with a mental illness or disorder. A good day after a series of bad days; a picture with a natural and genuine smile; participating in a game or event; hanging out with a friend (or making friends); going on family vacations and having those vacations go without any blips; getting to school regularly or not having any calls from school that day. Even simple things like eating at the supper table with family, choosing what to eat, or spending time watching TV with the family can be a monumental endeavour when someone is hurting. And so for the person living with the mental illness and / or their family members expectations are adjusted and measures refined to where success is measured one day at a time, one step at a time, however small those steps may be.

Shine Out! Shout Out! Youth Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support Program

Shine Out! Shout Out! is a group of hockey-playing friends raising funds and awareness for youth mental health through fundraising and community outreach, including the Shine Out! Shout Out! Adult Recreational Hockey Tournament held on the first Saturday after Labour Day. 

GOAL

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Our goal is to establish a peer-to-peer support programs for youth (age 15 -22) living with mental health issues and challenges. These programs will provide opportunities for youth to meet for fun, recreation and friendship, to support each other and learn from shared experiences to promote positive changes and coping strategies. It will be an informal once-a-week or more "hang-out"/'drop-in' that will help youth feel welcome, comfortable, and safe. Young adults who are trained as facilitators will run this program. We have been working in conjunction with our local Canadian Mental Health Association to help us put the pieces in place, and build on the project plan we have developed for the peer-to-peer program.

ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS

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The peer-to-peer mental health support program for youth will help:

•  Provide a safe recreational opportunity for youth as a means to address the social isolation often associated with mental health and allow them to be 'youth';

•  Address the noticeable gap in the mental health system for youth;

•  Provide a peer-based complement to other services / support / treatment being received;

•  Provide a forum to learn coping strategies;

•  Reducing the stigma of mental health by encouraging youth to talk about the issues and challenges they are encountering;

•  Provide leadership opportunities for youth / young adults in the community; and,

•  Help build the self-worth of a group of youth who are often stigmatized, labeled and have had their self-esteem and self-confidence depleted.  

CASE FOR SUPPORT

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No youth should be made to feel alone and in the dark in a crowded room, but that is how a youth with a mental illness can feel.   Our hope through the creation of a Youth Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Program is to give every youth a reason to smile, to feel connected, to know there is hope, and to know that they don't have to suffer in silence.

The stats associated with Youth Mental Health are very real and they are not going away. 1 in 5 youth in Canada will report having a mental health issue and yet only 1 in 5 get the help they need – so imagine, out of the more than 500,000 youth needing mental health help, only 100,000 will receive it.  Suicide is the leading cause of non-accidental deaths among Canadian youth and we have the 3rd highest suicide rate of any industrialized country. 90% of those who commit suicide had a treatable mental illness. And despite the seriousness of these numbers, 49% of Canadians would not socialize with a friend who had a mental illness and 40% of parents say they would not admit to anyone that their child had a mental illness - not even their doctor.  (Stats: Mental Health Commission of Canada, CMHA, CAMH)   

And therein lies the issue – STIGMA. It is often the impact of the STIGMA associated with the mental illness and the SOCIAL ISOLATION that are the largest barriers to overcoming a mental illness and all this at a time when a youth is going through some of their biggest transitions socially, physically, educationally   

People are talking and more attention is being put on the area of mental health, but many services are still not available in every community, or if they are, there can be long waits to access them. Even though peer-to-peer support programs for youth are shown as being valuable resources for hope and recovery, as well as addressing social isolation associated with the stigma of a mental illness, many communities, including our own don't have such programs. Left untreated, youth with mental illnesses have a greater potential to become youth at risk.  Mental Illness doesn't just impact the person suffering, it impacts their family and friends as well.

For more information on how you can support this initiative, donate to the programs, be a sponsor at our tournament or just want to know more about Shine Out! Shout Out!:

Email: information@shineshout.com

Twitter: @shineshout

www.shineshout.com

Toll-free: 1-800-637-1108